‘It was a little bit of a fight for us.’ Cat dies in Lexington house fire near school.

A cat died Monday in a Lexington house fire after the resident left home.

The fire occurred around 7:45 a.m. at 1921 Glengarry Way, off Bryan Station Road near Interstate 75. The home is a few blocks away from Bryan Station Middle School.

When Lexington firefighters arrived, they found a large amount of smoke and flames through the roof, according to Battalion Chief Marc Bramlage.

“It was a little bit of a fight for us, especially with the cold weather,” Bramlage said. “We eventually got it knocked down and learned the occupant is out of town at this time. We have one deceased cat.”

A neighbor who is retired from the fire department reported the fire, Bramlage said.

The fire originated at the front of the home, but the cause was not immediately known, according to Bramlage. No other neighboring structures were damaged.

Bramlage offered fire-prevention tips for houses left temporarily unoccupied in the winter.

“Make sure you have your furnace set at a reasonable temperature to prevent freezing, but also make sure your appliances are off and to just have good relationships with your neighbors to notice when problems start to happen,” he said.

This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 8:32 AM.